close associates with

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "close associates with" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct form would be "close associates of" or "close associates to." Example: "He is known to be close associates of several influential figures in the industry."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

In family discussions that started in 2010 and fizzled out twice under "do we really want to do this" anxiety, the brothers left their respective intelligence agencies in March 2015, taking a handful of close associates with them.

The Washington Post

"When the transitional governing body is established, Assad and his close associates with blood on their hands will have no role in Syria," declared the London 11 – the core members of the Friends of Syria group.

The Guardian

It reiterated that a transitional government should be established as part of a political settlement, and said that when the transitional body was formed, President Bashar al-Assad and his close associates "with blood on their hands will have no role in Syria".

The New York Times

Eleven nations – including the US, UK and France – issued a more recent London communiqué following a meeting in October that only stated the obvious when it said that Assad and his close associates with blood on their hands must step aside.

The Guardian - Opinion

A grand jury indictment filed in San Diego federal court charges Alvaro Lopez Nuñez, 38, and five close associates with doling out drugs to smugglers and smuggling the narcotics into the U.S. themselves from May 2005 to August 2016.

Los Angeles Times

Now, as the 2012 presidential race heats up, Republicans have continued to emphasize the ties between Solyndra and the Obama White House, in effort to paint the president as a Washington insider who favors his close associates with cushy business deals.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

"Most of the females in my study have at least one close associate with whom they always hang out," Dr. Lehmann said.

The New York Times - Science

The overarching modernisation of economies and reducing poverty through higher taxes, and thus greater social transfers, and also higher levels of social protection, are all revealed to be close associated with the level of employment in informal sector enterprises.

Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research

Otherwise, nephrogenic rests are close associated with Wilms tumor and regular follow-up is required to ensure early detection of malignant transformation.

BMC Pediatrics

Gene Ontology (GO) annotations for these genes are enriched for 'phototransduction' and 'signal transduction', indicating a close associated with normal physiological functions within head (Table 1).

BMC Genomics

This means that this gene is more close associated with this functional category then any of the original known members of the category, indicating a very high confidence in the prediction.

BMC Genomics

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use "close associates of" or "close associates to" instead of "close associates with" for correct grammar. Prefer "of".

Common error

Avoid using "with" after "close associates"; the correct preposition is "of". For example, say "He is a close associate of the CEO" instead of "He is a close associate with the CEO".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "close associates with" functions as a noun phrase aiming to identify individuals closely linked to someone. However, it's grammatically flawed. As noted by Ludwig AI, the correct preposition is "of".

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

67%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "close associates with" appears in various contexts, it's grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI points out that the correct phrasing is "close associates of". Despite its presence in news and scientific articles, writers should favor grammatically sound alternatives like "close associates of", "intimate connections with", or "close ties to" to maintain clarity and credibility. Although the intended meaning is generally understood, adhering to proper grammar enhances the overall quality of writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

close associates of

Replaces 'with' with the correct preposition 'of'.

close ties to

Employs 'ties' instead of 'associates' and shifts the preposition to 'to', signifying a strong relationship.

intimate connections with

Uses 'connections' instead of 'associates' and maintains the preposition 'with', implying a strong bond.

personal connections with

Emphasizes the personal nature of the associations.

intimate friends with

Replaces 'associates' with 'friends', stressing a deeper, more personal relationship and keeps the preposition 'with'.

intimate partners with

Uses the word "partners" to highlight the closeness of two people in a business or personal setting and maintains the preposition 'with'.

inner circle of

Uses a figurative expression to describe a select group of people closely connected to someone.

trusted advisors of

Highlights the advisory role of close associates.

key confidants of

Focuses on the confidential nature of the relationship.

loyal companions of

Implies a long-standing and supportive relationship.

FAQs

What's the correct way to say "close associates with"?

The grammatically correct phrasing is "close associates of". For example, "He is one of the close associates of the president" is correct.

What can I say instead of "close associates with"?

You can use alternatives like "close associates of", "intimate connections with", or "close ties to" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "close associates with" or "close associates of"?

"Close associates of" is the correct phrasing. "Close associates with" is grammatically incorrect.

How can I use "close associates of" in a sentence?

Use "close associates of" to indicate people who have a close and important relationship with someone. For instance, "The senator and his close associates of were investigated."